Clean-Eating Christmas Recipes

Find healthy, delicious clean-eating Christmas recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell. Our clean-eating recipes are made with real, whole foods and limit processed foods and refined grains. Plus, they are lower in sodium, sugar and calories.

Staff Picks

Quinoa & Chia Oatmeal Mix

Rating: Unrated
5
Make your own hot cereal mix with this healthy recipe. Keep it on hand and just cook up the amount you need when you're ready for a hot breakfast. One serving of the warm cereal contains 6 grams of fiber--almost a quarter of your daily quota-which helps stave off hunger throughout the morning.
By Carolyn Casner

Broccoli Casserole

Rating: Unrated
11
The lightened-up luscious sauce elevates this easy casserole recipe over standard broccoli and cheese side dishes.
By Breana Killeen

Creamy Turnip Soup

Rating: Unrated
2
In this recipe, the humble turnip is transformed into a rich turnip soup made creamy with just 1 tablespoon of butter. Serve it as a starter or side soup. The mini salad on top is optional, but we love the bit of texture from the greens and pop of flavor from the vinaigrette.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Lemon-Garlic Marinated Shrimp

Rating: Unrated
3
Marinating precooked shrimp in garlic- and lemon-infused oil is a simple yet elegant appetizer.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Turkish Spice Mix

Make a big batch of this Turkish spice mix to have on hand when you need to whip up a quick vegetable dip or flavorful, easy salad dressing. Or try it as a rub for grilled or roasted meat or vegetables. The spice mix is also perfect to give as a hostess gift along with a recipe card for turning it into a dip or vinaigrette (see Tips, below). For the freshest, most economical spices, head to a store that has a large, well-stocked bulk spice department.
By Hilary Meyer

Sauteed Broccoli & Kale with Toasted Garlic Butter

Rating: Unrated
3
In this easy vegetable side dish, broccoli and kale are drizzled with a butter, garlic and crushed red pepper sauce. Serve this healthy recipe alongside roasted chicken, turkey or ham--or on top of your favorite whole grain, such as quinoa or farro.
By Lia Huber

Lemon-Herb Roasted Beets

Rating: Unrated
5
We love how roasting brings out the sweet flavor of beets. Golden beets look especially pretty when tossed with the fresh herb and lemon seasoning mix, but any type of beets will work in this recipe. If you're a lemon lover, be sure to add the squeeze of fresh lemon juice after the beets are roasted.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Oven-Roasted Squash with Garlic & Parsley

Rating: Unrated
6
Winter squash becomes tender and sweeter when roasted--a delicious side for a holiday dinner. Look for interesting squash like kabocha or hubbard at your farmers' market and try them in this recipe. Recipe adapted from Alice Waters.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chile-Lime Peanuts

Rating: Unrated
3
These spicy nuts were inspired by ones sold by street vendors across Mexico. If you can only find salted peanuts, omit the added salt. Add the maximum amount of cayenne pepper if you want an extra hit of spice.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Lemon Poppy Seed Chiffon Cake

Beating the egg whites separately and then folding them into the batter gives this chiffon cake recipe great height, while the egg yolks make this healthy cake recipe rich and tender. Be sure to use a completely clean bowl and whisk when beating the whites-if the whites come in contact with any fat they won't whip up airy and light.
By Joanne Chang

Orange & Avocado Salad

Rating: Unrated
5
This colorful salad would be a welcome addition to a Mexican-inspired meal.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Pumpkin-Apple Soup

Rating: Unrated
8
Apples add just a hint of sweetness to this velvety pumpkin soup. Try it as a delightful first course for a special meal.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Inspiration and Ideas

Cured or Smoked Salmon Appetizer Platter

Cured or Smoked Salmon Appetizer Platter

Rating: Unrated
2
This smoked salmon platter requires little effort but the spread makes a big impression. Served with all the fixings--capers, hard-boiled eggs, cucumber and more--a smoked salmon platter is the ultimate make-ahead appetizer. Lay out everything listed in the ingredients below or just a few of the elements along with an assortment of crackers, cocktail bread and/or sliced baguette.
Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

Rating: Unrated
20
This creamy cauliflower mash makes a perfect low-carb stand-in for mashed potatoes. Here we take simple mashed cauliflower and mix in garlic, buttermilk and a touch of butter to create a flavorful side dish that has about one-quarter of the calories of typical mashed potatoes. If you like, vary it by adding shredded low-fat cheese or chopped fresh herbs.
Sweet Potato Hash Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Sweet Potato Hash Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Rating: Unrated
1
Mushroom & Wild Rice Frittata

Mushroom & Wild Rice Frittata

Rating: Unrated
4
Simple Roast Chicken

Simple Roast Chicken

Rating: Unrated
2
Green Beans with Parmesan-Garlic Breadcrumbs

Green Beans with Parmesan-Garlic Breadcrumbs

Rating: Unrated
3

Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri

Rating: Unrated
2

In this stunning, healthy cauliflower recipe, a head of cauliflower is cut into thick slabs then roasted until caramelized and served with chimichurri, a garlic-herb sauce. The cauliflower steaks make a fine accompaniment to actual steaks, or better still, serve them on their own as a vegetarian alternative to steak. Each head of cauliflower will provide 2 to 3 steaks from the center--the sides tend to crumble. For a truly show-stopping presentation, use the center portion of 2 heads and save the rest of the cauliflower for another recipe that calls for cauliflower florets.

All Clean-Eating Christmas Recipes

Old-Fashioned Fruit Crumble

Rating: Unrated
6
Use whatever fresh or frozen fruit you have on hand to make this old-fashioned crumble. Typical crumble topping has as much as a half cup of butter--ours has just a bit of canola oil and, for richness, chopped almonds, which are full of healthy monounsaturated fats.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Garlic-Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Rating: Unrated
2
Speed up roasting vegetables, like these lemon-and-thyme-infused Brussels sprouts, by cooking them on two large baking sheets instead of just one. This basic roasting technique also works for other root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips and potatoes.
By Hilary Meyer

Polenta Wedges with Tomato Tapenade

Rating: Unrated
2
Crispy pieces of polenta topped with a tangy sun-dried tomato tapenade makes a pretty and tasty appetizer.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Dried-Fruit Bars

Rating: Unrated
1
Make a batch of these easy homemade dried-fruit bars to tuck into your kid's lunchbox all week.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp with Arugula Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
This recipe for jumbo shrimp wrapped in thin strips of prosciutto and served on a lemony bed of arugula is a practically effortless dish that's sure to impress your guests. Wrap your shrimp and make the dressing ahead of time, and you'll have dinner on the table even faster. Serve with toasted whole-wheat baguette sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sweet Potato & Turnip Mash with Sage Butter

Rating: Unrated
1
This sweet potato and turnip mash is fragrant with fresh sage.
By Raghavan Iyer

Overnight Oatmeal

Rating: Unrated
19
Here is an easy way to serve a crowd a hearty breakfast before facing the elements for a day of winter sports. You can assemble it in the slow cooker in the evening and wake up to a bowl of hot, nourishing oatmeal. The slow cooker eliminates the need for constant stirring and ensures an exceptionally creamy consistency. It is important to use steel-cut oats; old-fashioned oats become too soft during slow-cooking.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Coffee-Braised Pot Roast with Caramelized Onions

Rating: Unrated
15
This recipe is reminiscent of a pot roast made with onion-soup mix, but the flavors are true and pure--and nobody misses the excess sodium. (For a slow-cooker variation, see below.)
By Patsy Jamieson

Roasted Pear-Butternut Soup with Crumbled Stilton

Rating: Unrated
16
Here pears are roasted to sweet perfection with butternut squash and pureed to create a creamy soup that gets a luxurious garnish of Stilton cheese. You can serve this as a first course or with a salad and crusty bread for a light autumn supper.
By Marie Simmons

Savory Chestnut Puree

Rating: Unrated
2
Try this easy, elegant chestnut puree with roasted quail, turkey or chicken.
By Virginia Willis

Braised Lamb Shanks & Eggplant

Rating: Unrated
2
This slow-cooked lamb and eggplant stew melts in your mouth. Sumac, a lemony-flavored spice, gives the dish a fruity, tangy aroma. Look for it in Mediterranean markets or spice shops. Serve the stew over mashed root vegetables, bulgur or brown rice.
By Sheilah Kaufman

Scandinavian Pickled Herring Bites

Rating: Unrated
1
This Scandinavian-style appetizer is a good way to try pickled herring if you've never had it. The potent flavor of the herring is balanced by a dollop of sour cream and the potato slice it's served on.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Chard & White Beans

Rating: Unrated
11
Acorn squash's natural shape makes it just right for stuffing. This filling has Mediterranean flair: olives, tomato paste, white beans and Parmesan cheese. Serve with: Mixed green salad with radicchio and red onion and crisp white wine, such as Pinot Grigio.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Curried Cashews

Rating: Unrated
4
These curried cashews are impossibly addictive--every time we made them in the Test Kitchen they disappeared in a flash. If you use salted cashews, omit the added salt.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Two Simple Herb-Roasted Chickens

We've included a basic herb combination in this recipe for roasting two chickens at once, but season your chicken with whatever herbs you like. Though we like to roast two chickens at once, you can also easily halve all the ingredients and just roast one.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Pear Custard Pie

A velvety, light custard surrounds ripe pears in this healthy pear pie recipe. Serve with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream.
By Summer Miller

Roasted Pears with Brie & Pistachios

Rating: Unrated
2
Roasted pears with Brie and pistachios is delicious as a first course or a side with roast pork or lamb. Leave the stems on for the prettiest presentation.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Massaged Mustard Greens Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
A few minutes of judicious massaging will transform bitter mustard greens into a mellow, well-balanced salad spiked with hints of lemon, garlic and Parmesan.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Herb-Roasted Turkey

Rating: Unrated
7
This easy method produces all the good looks and moist flavor you dream of in an oven-roasted turkey. Make sure you show this beauty off at the table before you carve it. Garnish your serving platter with fresh herb sprigs and citrus wedges for a show-stopping Thanksgiving turkey.
By Jessie Price

Dried Fruit Compote with Green Tea & Lemon

Rating: Unrated
6
When the selection of fruit in the winter is lacking, poaching shelf-stable dried fruit in lemon-infused green tea creates a luscious fruit compote. Serve topped with low-fat plain yogurt and chopped pistachios for breakfast or dessert.
By Patsy Jamieson

Asparagus and Wild Mushrooms

White wine and fresh tarragon bring this side dish to life.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Roasted Garlic Mashed Purple Potatoes

Roasting garlic and thyme in olive oil infuses them with a heady flavor that makes a luxurious addition to these mashed potatoes. Purple potatoes make a delightful lavender mash, but you can use white potatoes if you prefer.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Caramelized Spiced Pears

Rating: Unrated
1
Serve these caramelized pear slices over ice cream, stir into plain yogurt or enjoy as a topping for pancakes or waffles. Brown-skinned Bosc pears hold their shape during cooking, but any variety of pears tastes delicious.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Tangerine & Roasted Beet Salad with Feta & Pistachios

Rating: Unrated
4
In California's Ojai Valley, citrus growers have mastered cultivating the tiny Pixie tangerine. Pixies are only available in the spring, but you can make this salad year-round with any variety of tangerine or clementine.
By Laraine Perri
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